I am going in soon to talk to my CDE about pumps and CGM's. I have been researching the Omnipod and the Medtronic Minimed, since these are the only companies that my clinic/medical center mentioned. I think that the Omnipod would fit better with my lifestyle, but is there a CGM I can use with that one? Plus, being that Medtronic has been around for a longer time, I feel more secure with that company...plus the Minimed has a CGM that goes with it. I would strongly prefer a WATER PROOF pump (Medtronic is not waterproof). My question is..
Who has an Omnipod or Animas?
What are the drawbacks to the Omnipod and Animas?
What do you use for a CGM with an Omnipod or Animas?
Does an Animas or Medtronic have a built-in glucose meter like the Omnipod?
Augh!! I can't decide!! I already ordered a "dummy pod" from the Omnipod website, so we'll see how that goes. Please, any advice would e greatly appreciated! THANK YOU!
I have had a minimed pump for 10 years, and love it. I have not tried any other pump so I have no frame of reference, but the minimed has a number of features that I like, including many different infusion sets to choose from. It has a meter that sends the BG readings to the pump directly, and like you mentioned, has a CGM that is part of the unit. It does have a remote for an additional fee (I know some people mention this as a plus for the other pumps out there). It does have some down sides however, with it having tubing and not being fully waterproof. I have had good customer service with minimed, the one time my pump broke I had a new one in my hands less than 24 hours later.
That all being said, I recently started looking at CGMs. Dexcom is a major contender for a CGM, and lots of people who use omnipod and animas are using dexcom. There is talk of Dexcom integrating with these companies at some point in the (hopefully not too distant) future. I spent a lot of time comparing the two CGMs (minimed and dexcom) and weighing the pros and cons of each. Minimed would mean only one thing in my pocket, the sensor is more waterproof, the sensor has some memory capability, and it has a predictive feature that can figure out how fast your BGs are changing and tell you a set amount of time (i.e. 10-15 minutes) before you hit your low (whatever number you set this to be). Down sides include that this sensor requires additional tape (I tend to react to tape), and the sensors are only licensed for 3 days of use (if you search CGMs on here, many people are using them for longer). Also reported by users is more pain inserting, difficulty getting calibrated, and accuracy issues.
Dexcom seems to be well liked by most of the users I've read. Their sensors are good for 7 days (again people are using for longer). Reported are less pain issues with insertion, easier calibration, and better accuracy. Their sensor does not have any memory capability, and is only water proof up to 3 ft for 30 minutes I believe is what their rep told me. Another downside would be having an additional item in your pocket/to carry around, at least until they become integrated with one of the other pumps available.
I wrote a blog about my decisions between CGMs if you are interested and it would be helpful. Again, some of this is secondhand from others, I do not currently have a CGM.
I hope some of this information helps you, it definitely is a difficult decision, but I'm sure that whatever you choose will be great.